Juliana Magalhães Cross-Examined in Banfield Trial — Netflix Deal & Jail Letters Revealed

Dr. Michael McKee appeared in an Illinois courtroom and waived extradition back to Ohio, where he faces two counts of aggravated murder for the deaths of Spencer and Monique Tepe. Observers described him as arrogant, calm, and confident — walking in with his chin up like he was entering an operating room.The charges have been upgraded from murder to aggravated murder with prior calculation and design, indicating prosecutors believe this was premeditated. In Ohio, that's death penalty eligible.Today we examine what experts are saying about McKee's psychology. Retired FBI agent Maureen O'Connell calls him a "grievance collector" who blamed Monique for ruining his life. Therapist Darby Fox believes he's had this in mind since she filed for divorce in 2017. Retired LAPD Lieutenant Jeff Weninger says McKee likely sees himself as the victim — justified in his actions.We also break down the critical June 2025 court activity that may have triggered the violence. After eight years of no documented contact, something brought McKee and Monique back into the legal system six months before she was killed. Retired Columbus PD detective Jay Fulton theorizes it may have been legal stalking — a way to force her to respond.McKee maintains his innocence. He plans to plead not guilty.Spencer and Monique leave behind two young children who were in the home during the murders.#TrueCrimeToday #MichaelMcKee #TeepeMurders #SpencerTepe #MoniqueTepe #AggravatedMurder #OhioMurder #Extradition #TrueCrimeNews #BreakingNewsJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISDOES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.

15 Tammi 20min

Psychotherapist and author Shavaun Scott joins Hidden Killers LIVE to explain the psychology inside Nick Reiner's mind. We're taking your questions on schizoaffective disorder, medication destabilization, and how someone can admit to killing while believing their punishment is a conspiracy.Nick was reportedly stable until doctors changed his medication a month before the murders. Sources say he complained about weight gain. Now his meds still aren't stabilized and he's delusional in jail. What happens when psychotic disorders go untreated during a medication transition? What does the "conspiracy" framing tell us about his mental state? And can someone plan something methodically while genuinely not understanding what they're doing?Join us live with your questions. Shavaun brings decades of clinical experience to help us understand what may have been happening inside Nick Reiner before, during, and after the alleged murders.#NickReiner #RobReiner #LIVE #Schizoaffective #MentalHealth #Psychology #HiddenKillersLive #ShavaunScott #TrueCrimeJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.

15 Tammi 29min

Major developments in the Kouri Richins case as Judge Richard Mrazik issues critical pre-trial rulings just weeks before jury selection begins. Kouri Richins, the Utah mother and real estate agent charged with aggravated murder in the 2022 fentanyl death of her husband Eric Richins, will now face a narrower trial than prosecutors intended. The judge ruled this week that financial crime charges — including insurance fraud, mortgage fraud, and forgery — will be tried separately, meaning the jury deciding the murder case won't hear those allegations. A domestic violence expert has been barred from testifying after defense attorneys argued there's no evidence of abuse in twelve terabytes of discovery. Former FBI behavioral analyst Molly Amman can only testify in limited rebuttal capacity and cannot suggest Kouri fits a killer profile. However, handwriting expert Matt Throckmorton will testify that Eric's signature on insurance documents was allegedly forged. The controversial orange notebook — allegedly containing Kouri's own account of the night Eric died — may be admitted if prosecutors meet evidentiary requirements. Prosecutors allege Kouri first tried to poison Eric with a fentanyl-laced sandwich on Valentine's Day 2022, then succeeded seventeen days later with a Moscow Mule. The defense has challenged the state's evidence, noting a key witness recanted his statement about selling fentanyl. Kouri Richins has pleaded not guilty and maintains her innocence. Trial begins February 10, 2026.#KouriRichins #TrueCrimeToday #EricRichins #UtahCrime #FentanylPoisoning #MurderTrial #TrueCrimePodcast #CriminalJustice #CourtNews #TrueCrimeNewsJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISDOES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.

15 Tammi 17min

Juliana Peres Magalhaes, former Banfield au pair, continued to be cross-examined on the stand today in the Brendan Banfield murder trial in Fairfax County, Virginia.Banfield, a former IRS Criminal Investigation agent, faces four counts of aggravated murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and child abuse charges in the February 24, 2023 deaths of his wife Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan. Prosecutors allege Banfield and the family's Brazilian au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhães, were having an affair and conspired to lure Ryan to their Herndon home using a fake profile on a sexual fetish website — then killed both victims and staged it as a home invasion.Magalhães has pleaded guilty to manslaughter and is cooperating with prosecutors in exchange for a recommendation of time served. The defense maintains that digital forensic evidence shows Christine Banfield controlled her own devices and that investigators who contradicted the catfishing theory were reassigned.If convicted on all counts, Banfield faces life in prison without parole plus 13 additional years. The trial is expected to last four weeks.#BrendanBanfield #AuPairAffair #BanfieldTrial #ChristineBanfield #JosephRyan #JulianaMagalhaes #FairfaxCounty #MurderTrial #TrueCrime #BreakingJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.

15 Tammi 37min

True Crime Today brings you the defense perspective on two of the biggest murder trials happening right now. Defense attorney Bob Motta breaks down Nick Reiner's insanity defense strategy and exposes where the Brendan Banfield prosecution is bleeding.Nick Reiner's attorney quit. Alan Jackson walked out with 10 outstanding subpoenas, citing disagreements with his client. Nick is now represented by a public defender, reportedly not competent to stand trial, and facing a prosecutor who handled the Menendez resentencing and Robert Durst case. Bob explains what Jackson's exit signals about the defense's internal conflicts and how the defense rebuilds from here. California's insanity standard doesn't require proving Nick didn't know right from wrong — only that he didn't understand the "nature and quality" of his actions. The Carmichael precedent could be key. But Nick's post-offense behavior creates problems. Checking into a hotel. Buying a drink at a gas station. Navigating LA for 24 hours. Bob explains how prosecutors will use that functionality against any insanity claim.Then we turn to Brendan Banfield. The prosecution's own forensics expert contradicted their catfishing theory — and was transferred out of the unit. The lead detective was reassigned. The prosecutor was removed after being cited for drinking at 8 a.m. Twelve homicide detectives had 24 different theories before the au pair flipped. Bob explains how you build reasonable doubt from that wreckage.Juliana Peres Magalhaes is the prosecution's entire case. She lied for a year. Then she got a deal: manslaughter, time served, go home to Brazil. Her sentencing is after Banfield's trial to ensure cooperation. From jail, she wrote she was "heartbroken" for what she was doing to Brendan. Bob explains how to destroy her credibility and what the prosecution has left if she falls apart.#TrueCrimeToday #BobMotta #NickReiner #BrendanBanfield #DefenseAttorney #InsanityDefense #ReasonableDoubt #StarWitness #CrossExamination #MurderTrialJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISDOES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.

15 Tammi 1h 6min

When violent cases break, attention usually locks onto motive and emotion. But analysts often look somewhere else — at what happens after the act. In this episode of True Crime Today, retired FBI Special Agent Robin Dreeke explains why post-offense behavior can reshape how an entire case is understood.Using publicly reported aspects of the Nick Reiner case, Robin breaks down why calm movement, decision-making, and narrative framing after an alleged crime matter. These behaviors don’t cancel mental illness — but they can complicate claims about awareness and control.The episode also explores the broader context: years of treatment cycling, medication changes driven by side effects, and how prolonged instability can reset family expectations. Robin explains why families don’t “miss” warning signs — they adapt to them — and how that adaptation can delay intervention until outcomes are irreversible.This discussion focuses on behavior, not excuses — and why the aftermath often tells the real story.#TrueCrimeToday #NickReiner #RobinDreeke #CrimeAnalysis #BehavioralScienceJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISDOES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.

15 Tammi 17min

True Crime Today brings you the defense strategy for the most important witness in the Brendan Banfield murder trial. Juliana Peres Magalhaes is the prosecution's case. Without her testimony, they have a forensics expert who contradicted their theory, investigators who were transferred, and 19 months of spinning theories. Defense attorney Bob Motta explains how you destroy her credibility.Juliana spent a year in jail maintaining the same story Brendan told police. Then she flipped. She pleaded to manslaughter. She gets time served. She goes home to Brazil. Her sentencing is scheduled after Banfield's trial — to ensure she continues to cooperate. From jail, she wrote to her mother that she was "heartbroken for doing this to Brendan" and that she loved him.Motta breaks down how you use that letter on cross-examination. He explains how to frame her year-long lie for the jury — is she someone who finally told the truth, or someone who changed lies when the deal was right?The prosecution reduced her charge from second-degree murder to involuntary manslaughter. Motta explains how to make the jury understand the magnitude of what she received in exchange for her testimony.The prosecution is positioning Juliana as a reluctant participant. Motta dismantles that framing. He identifies the biggest mistakes defense attorneys make with cooperating witnesses — and what happens to the state's case if Juliana falls apart on the stand.#BrendanBanfield #JulianaPeresMagalhaes #TrueCrimeToday #BobMotta #DefenseAttorney #StarWitness #CrossExamination #AuPairMurder #PleaDeal #MurderTrialJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISDOES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.

14 Tammi 19min